Black & White
by pastelkhaleesi
Summary: A SWD Pirates fic: A thief makes a deal with Black Baron, Black Roberts; help her brother and her escape and get to the Gardiner's Trove in exchange for a large sum of money and treasure. But Roberts ends up with much more than cold hard cash.
1. Kerosene

**Hi friends! It's been awhile hasn't it? Yeah, I've been pretty shitty about writing lately, huh? Welp, I was browsing tumblr as I do and I found that NTT Solmare apparently released a new game a while ago called Shall We Date?: Pirates and I was like "hot DAMN, I can't wait to fall in love with a fictional character (again)!" I've always found pirates kinda sexy as all hell in these kinds of stories so this was like an eight month early christmas for me. And of course I go for the bad guy, which by the way is completely opposite of me irl (I usually go for the nerdy types), and I landed on Black Roberts. And oh my god is he sexy or what. Like damn, that shirt's very becoming on him - and if I were on him I'd be-cumming too (yep, I am a dweeb irl too).**

 **I am enjoying the story so far, but I will say: why is every MC in SWD always a princess? Like WAT? That doesn't happen in real life. And don't the peasants and whores deserve love too? Like, jeez, classism much? So I decided to write my MC with a drastically different back story, but I still think you'll enjoy the story. I swear to god, I laughed so hard writing this character.**

 **I guess that's it. . . yep**

* * *

Chapter 1: Kerosene

We slink our way out of the room only to go dashing down the corridor. Not surprisingly, we reach a dead end. After all, our only lights here are the ones seeping through the cracks between the brickwork. My brother Nagisa, or "N" as I like to call him, grunts.

"Dammit! This way is blocked off too!" he says as he catches his breath. He approaches the brick wall in front of us and bangs his fist on the stone. He turns back to me. "We'll have to head towards the interior of the castle."

"You fucking imbecile!" I scold him."We'll get trapped in there!"

N rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed with me at this point. "I think we oughta go down to the dungeons and get the Black Baron to, ah, do us a little favour" he says.

"What, are you MAD? Asking a filthy pirate for help?"

"What? You have a better idea? I say we go down there and strike up a deal with him to get us out and away from here in exchange for a share of the money."

I take a second to carefully consider our options at this point: a) keep running around the courtyards and eventually get caught by the guards, b) backtrack to the way we came in and get caught by the guards, or c) go down to the dungeons and free Black Roberts for a _chance_ at survival. Finally I utter the words "Fine, we'll do it your way."

By some miracle, we're able to evade our pursuers and make it down to the old fighting pits under the castle - the dungeons. The whole place is in terrible shape; everything in the room is old and the only possible light source is an unlit kerosene lamp in the corner of the room surrounded by old matches. The lantern doesn't provide much light in this dark and dusty corridor, but from what I could tell, no one was there.

"Great, just great" I say, obviously frustrated. "No one's down here."

"Shit, don't tell me he escaped?" my brother asks while trying to search the area despite the lack of light. "Wouldn't put it past him" I mumble.

As we whisper angrily to each other, a muscular arm comes shooting out between a set of bars, capturing N at the neck. My eyes instantly jerk to the body connected to the arm, Black Roberts.

"Bastard! Put him down!" I say sternly. He only chuckles. "Now that's not very _ladylike_ is it?" he asks. I scowl at him. "I'm sorry, did you not hear me _darling_?" I ask condescendingly. "I said put him down."

"And why should I take orders from a whore, hm?" He asks, tightening his grip on Nagisa's windpipe.

"You value your life, do you not?" I ask, yet Black Roberts stays silent. "Unlike yourself, I can actually get you out of here" I say, twirling the key around my finger. "So unless you want to be shot on spot as soon as the guards come down here and find us, you have no choice but to take 'orders' from me."

"... Fine, I'm listening" Roberts says finally, letting go of my brother's throat.

"We'll let you out. IF, and only if, you help us escape."

Roberts, feeling cocky, walks over to a horrible excuse for a bed in the corner of his cell and lays down with his hands behind his head. "I'm not stupid enough to make a deal with a couple of thieves . . . got any cigars?"

I raise my eyebrow. What does cigars have to do with anything? "No."

"Then get out of my sight."

Fine. Two can play at that game. I turn to my brother. "Obviously he's not going to help us. Let's just go, I'm sure there are plenty of other people willing to help in exchange for a sum of our recently acquired _affluence_." In the cell behind me I can feel Roberts shift in his bed.

"Sounds like a good idea" N says, playing along.

After years and years of my brother and I conning even the smartest of men, we've our routines down to a science. We go from town to town, whorehouse to whorehouse. N slips drugs into the heavy-drinking mens' drinks, and I coax them into bed with me. I let them play around for a while before I slit their throats and rob them of every pretty penny. At this point, we are master smooth-talkers.

As we begin to walk away, Black Roberts' voice suddenly calls. "Wait!" he says.

"Yes?" I say innocently as I turn my head.

"How much money exactly?" he asks curiously. Hook, line, and sinker.

"A third of what we have" I say, coming up with that on the spot.

I feel his eyes on my when he calls me over, and I reluctantly obey. His eyes seem to fixate on my chest - of course, this is nothing new for me. However, as it turns out, he wasn't staring at what I thought he was. His arm suddenly pulls me in by the gold rosary around my neck. He looks back up to my face. Looking at him closely, he was actually quite handsome. He must've been a good few years older than me. A large scar ran down his face on a diagonal, and I found this incredibly sexy. But I knew I had to hold my ground. "Well, you're certainly a looker aren't you?" he asks trying to intimidate me. "Anyway, you say you'd pay me. How 'bout we start with this?" he says, yanking on my rosary once again.

"Like hell!" I stammer and pull away.

"Hmph, so you were lying" Roberts says as he lets go of his hold on me.

I roll my eyes. I don't have time to deal with this bullshit.

"Fine" I said as I took off the rosary and chucked it at his face. "Take us to the Gardiner's Trove and there'll be plenty more where that came from."

"Yeah, yeah sweetheart. Now unlock the door will you?"

I roll my eyes again, forgetting everything I thought about him being handsome, and unlock the cell's barred door.

He steps out, now right in front of me. I marvel at just how big he is; he looks like he could crush me with just one hand. As I gaze up at him, he suddenly has his arm around my waist and throws me over his shoulder. "What the hell?!"

"Shut up" he says. "I don't wanna dawdle along with your tiny legs, now c'mon!"

And with that he goes dashing out the corridor with me in tow and N right behind.

"Who'd have thought? Enjoying a drink in a country bar gets me thrown in jail and then threatened by a whore" he mutters angrily.

"I did not!" I shot back, but he came back even quicker. "Something about being shot on sight?"

God damn, this was going to be the death of me.


	2. Mayhem

**More Dane Cook references. Also raise your hand if you've seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High. You are my people.  
**

* * *

Chapter 2: Mayhem

Through an alternate passageway, we escape to the floral foliage that is the castle gardens.

"I wonder what walking feels like" I say snarkily from over Roberts' shoulder. "Quit your clamoring!" he says. The damn pirate then proceeds to throw me down on my back as if he were wrestling me or something. (cue John Cena music)

"Heh. You fell on your butt" Black Roberts says, his laughter as innocent as a child.

"Thanks _pal_ " I say as I sit up. His mood changed instantly and straightaway, he comes back with "No problem, _buddy_. Now come on!"

"I'll be right there, _chief_."

N rolls his eyes. "Can you two be quiet? There's someone coming." He then pulls me and Roberts down into hiding behind a rose bush. "Its one of Lord Andrea's men" I say, peeking through the thicket of thorns.

"Probably looking for us" N says. I hold my breath and try to be as still as possible.

"Let's flee" I say decisively while looking for an easy way out.

"What? You don't think I can take him?" Black Roberts whisper-yells at me. I give him a look.

Sure, he may be the toughest pirate around, but he is definitely not the smartest. Man, after years upon years of experience you'd figure he has some sort of idea as to what strategy is, but nope. No, he doesn't think about the fact that getting into it with this guy would attract more attention. But I decide not to piss him off; the only thing on my mind is getting the hell out of here.

"No, but if it can be avoided. . ." I say, trying not to rile him up.

"If you wanted to be rescued by a coward, you've got the wrong guy" he says obviously insulted.

Rescued? Really? Again, I decide not to get into it with him.

"Fine, you're right. Do whatever you think is best" I say finally.

"Here they come" Nagisa says, interrupting us. He pulls out his sickle (makes decapitation easy) and readies himself. Black Roberts, however, does nothing but raises an eyebrow in anticipation. _He better damn well know what he's doing . . ._

Luckily for me, the guy unknowingly approaching us isn't who we though it would be. As soon as the guy sees us and sticks his head through the bush with a big goofy smile on his face, I know it's not one of the guards. Before us is a ginger with yellowy-brown eyes and tough, yet young-looking face.

"There you are, Captain! We've been looking for you everywhere" says the ginger. I look at Black Roberts, and then back to the ginger.

Captain. More like Cap-taint.

"Heyyy! Avalon, how are you doing?" asks the ginger. At first I'm severely confused, but then it all comes back to me.

"Yo, Yoh" I say. He always hated my puns. Yoh, the ginger, shuts his eyes in annoyance. "You have not changed a bit" he says when he opens them.

It was a little more than slightly embarrassing having Yoh see me in such a revealing outfit, which was basically stripper-garb. Yeah, a short bustier corset dress and thigh-high fishnet stockings weren't all that appropriate for a childhood friend to be seeing me in. After all, we played together almost every day back when I lived on Amamiku Island. He had always wanted adventure . . .

"Good to see you, Yoh" N said.

"Hey Na-WAIT!" Yoh said, eyes going wide suddenly. "What are you guys doing with the Captain? And, I've joined Roberts' crew by the way."

"Yeah, so I gathered" I said smiling as I gestured towards the ornate R tattooed on his right shoulder. Yoh turns away awkwardly. "A lot has changed, and I haven't been home in years."

"I'm sorry" I say sympathetically. I haven't been home in years either after all.

Though Yoh was always one who sought out adventure, I'd have never thought in a million years that he'd end up a pirate. Yoh had always been the victim-type; he used to get picked on a lot when we were younger. While I was proud of him for finally being able to stand up for himself, whatever led him to becoming a pirate couldn't have been anything good.

I was so distracted with Yoh, I didn't even notice the man approaching us. He looked older than Yoh; he dressed in a more formal manner and a softer-looking face. He wore glasses and his eyes spoke of wisdom, even though he looked to be around the age of Roberts.

"Have you found the Captain?" He asked. Despite him obviously being part of the Black Pirates, he had a surprisingly mild demeanor.

"Ey, Eyes, he's over here!" Yoh said, gesturing toward us.

Just then, Roberts scoffed. "You even brought Eyes with you?" His shoulders slumped as if Eyes' arrival had taken the wind out of Roberts' sails if you know what I mean. It seemed as though Eyes might maybe have some sort of authority over Roberts. I had to admit I liked the idea of there being someone to put Roberts' in his place.

"You wouldn't come with us without him" Yoh answered his Captain.

When I look over to this man known as Eyes, he's looking at me. "You two must be his rescuers" he says. _Oh, how the tables have turned. I bet Roberts loved hearing that...  
_

I nodded smugly.

"And you actually got him to come with you" Eyes said. "I bet this stubborn son-of-a-B said something about not wanting to be rescued, hm?"

"Yep. Pretty much."

I couldn't help but smile at the man. His not swearing had a sort of elderly man style charm to it.

Upon seeing me smile, Black Roberts elbowed me. "Don't give him the satisfaction" he scolded me. "Hmph, you must know nothing about me."

Then Eyes, with the most bitch-faced smile, said "You're right; she'll probably never know how much of a violent, stubborn felon you are."

"Shut it, Eyes!" Roberts says.

The apparent equality between the pirates surprises me. You'd think the crew would fear Roberts, but they don't. So that must mean there was some side to him I wasn't seeing.

"Well, I don't imagine you left the dungeons with them quietly" Eyes says to Roberts, still with his award-winning bitch-faced smile. "Just what kind of a deal did these nice people strike with you?"

Black Roberts chuckles. "This" he says, twirling my rosary around his finger. "The woman's gonna tell us where we can find a hell of a lot more like this."

"I see" Eyes says, satisfied with his answer.

Suddenly the sound of boots running along the path come into earshot.

"Shit, they're here!" my brother says.

"Hey! Stop where you are!" yell the Saint Cross men. Roberts scoffs. "The annoyances are here."

The one wearing red draws his sword towards Roberts. "You're supposed to be locked up!"

"I'm sorry, who the hell are you?" I say as I stand up, stepping in front of Roberts. No way in hell were these guys gonna put him back in jail after we've come so far just to get him out. Plus I would end up in there too with him for stealing from the house's stash of cash.

The man before me squints as he examines me. "Who do you think I am?" he asks.

But before I could respond, Roberts pushes me aside. "You're not from Saint Cross, so I'm guessing you're a tag-along with blondie here" Roberts says, gesturing toward the other man.

"You better watch what you say!" the man in question warns, taking a step closer to Roberts, egging him on. "Your death will not be merciful, Black Roberts."

"Try me" he responds in a snide manner, a vicious grin on his face.

A slight burst of wind sweeps around me when Black Roberts unsheathes his sword. "Come and get me!" he taunts.

The other man immediately lunges forward with his sword in hand. All the men in our group ready their weapons, and I the dagger I kept strapped in my garter.

"Loose your arrows" The blonde one commands the archers, who all follow suit. However, Yoh is able to knock them all to the ground.

"Avalon! Hide!" Yoh yells to me.

"Like hell I will!" I yell back as I lunge towards one of the archers, stabbing him straight in the jugular.

Meanwhile, Roberts is laughing hysterically. Even Nagisa stops between decapitating people with his sickle to ask him what the hell he was laughing at.

"I was just think how stiff I'd gotten, cooped up in that cell, so this is good exercise!"

"Then why are you taking a break?" I shout to him. But he's too distracted by the cigar in the breast pocket of one of the soldiers. With his sword, he slices the end off. He stops, realizing he doesn't have a light. I notice Eyes off to the side silently watching the fight with his signature resting bitch face. He obviously had no intention of helping out. When he notices me looking, his smile widens and he waves. And then I know that everyone here is deranged.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see an officer getting ready to take a shot at Roberts.

"On your right!" I yell to the Black Baron. And before any bullet has even been shot, the man's arm has been impaled by Roberts' knife. Despite how dense he seemed, he definitely had skill.

"Ok, playtime's over! Get to the ship!" Black Roberts yells to the crew. And in obvious disregard to my show of my physical ability, Roberts strolls over and throws me over his shoulder again. Sexist prick.

A sudden whistle rings through the air, and in an instant Robert's body shields mine. And then I notice the arrow piercing his shoulder, the opposite one to where I was hanging off of. Roberts feels me moving to look up at him. "Stop moving" he says, and pulls the arrow from his shoulder. "Iron plating, babe" he reassures me. "Learn it. Know it. Live it."

Then he notices the hole the arrow's made in his clothes. "That was my favourite shirt! I'll kill them all!"

"Now, you scurvy scoundrels! To the Black Swan!" he yells to his crew.

I giggle. "Isn't that a ballet?"

"Shut up."

Yoh races up to us before throwing what I can only guess to be a bomb of some sort towards the enemy. Sure enough, thick black smog erupts upon impact.


	3. Genesis

Chapter 3: Genesis

All I heard from the soldiers was coughing and dry-heaving.

The ship was parked along a cliff along an uninhabited side of the island. It was everything I would expect from Black Roberts; the only other colour besides the stained cherry body, was black. Black flags, black sails, etc. As if his arrogance wasn't overpowering enough, his ship proved the true nature of it.

Fortunately, Roberts put me down as soon as we were aboard the vessel. After we had departed, he led me and N to his cabin.

"All right, you two wanna tell me about this treasure?" he asked, sitting down in his chair, throwing his feet up onto the desk. Nagisa looks to me. I cross my arms.

"How do we know you won't just throw us both into the sea as soon as you've heard what you need?" I ask and take a seat on the edge of the desk.

"I can't promise I won't" Roberts says. "In case you haven't noticed, sweetheart, I'm a pirate."

N butts in. "Then I guess we can't tell you everything just yet." Roberts doesn't like this.

"Don't hold me cheap!" he yells, slamming a fist down on his desk. "What is this Gardiner's Trove?"

But N just stands there silently with a smug smile on his face. It was definitely a close second to Eyes' bitch face.

"Well the girl must know something about it" Roberts says, turning to me. "I know those Saint Cross bastards know about it." I remain silent. No way am I telling this guy anything if he's gonna be an ass about it.

Eyes, hearing the commotion from the hall, come in. "I've heard of it" he says as he adjusts his glasses.

Roberts grows impatient after a moment of silence following Eyes' statement. "I'm waiting" he says.

Eyes continues. "It's a legend; The women of the House Viatala's royal family have, for generations, been secretly protecting a weapon of the ancient civilization that once almost destroyed their land long ago. It's sister weapon, the Warrior's Trove, is the only thing that can defeat it. It is said that whoever wields both can rule the world." He then looks to me for confirmation.

"I mean, you've just about nailed it" I say.

"So you're telling me it's not treasure?" Roberts asks.

"Nope" I say. "But the Saint Cross bastards have the Warrior's Trove."

Roberts falls silent. "They've been after me and Nagisa for years" I say. Roberts raises an eyebrow at this, and I realize he doesn't know what my brother and I do.

"We go from town to town. I coax drunk men into a bed with me, and then we rob and kill them so they can't go to the Saint Cross. But eventually those bastards caught on, so we've been on the run." I explain. "That's why we want the Gardiner's Trove: so if push comes to shove, we can take them. The only catch is that they're looking for it too."

Suddenly Roberts swings his legs down from their perch on the desk and stands up, taking a step towards me. "Where's this treasure you promised me?" he asks very condescendingly. But I remain cold.

"Well, there's many ancient relics hidden with the Gardiner's Trove you could worth about ten times the Saint Cross is worth. Stuff like my rosary, precious metals, expensive gems, exotic plants and spices - that kind of thing."

An evil smile crosses Roberts' face. "All right, deal. We'll take you to the Gardiner's Trove and we'll take everything else there for ourselves."

"Deal" I say putting out my hand. We shake on it, and it's settled.

"The trove is most likely to be located on Amamiku Island" I say. "Yoh's family used to run the shrine there."

"Then we'll set course for Amamiku Island" Roberts says definitively.

Out of habit, I go to fiddle with the rosary around my neck, only to remember it's not there, and I put my arm back down to my side.

"Now that that's settled," Eyes says. "why don't you show Miss Avalon to her quarters."

"Ugh, why me?" Roberts whines.

"Because everyone else is _working"_ Eyes says, again with his bitch-faced smile.

"You-"

"We've all had a very tough time here after a certain someone passed out in a certain bar"

Finally Roberts gives in. "Fine! I'll do it, god damn you."

Without another word, Roberts forcefully grabs my wrist, pulling me off his desk. As I pass by N, he whispers to me "Roberts is very submissive when it comes to Eyes, huh." I can't help but giggle.

"What are you two whispering about!" Roberts yells at us. I roll my eyes and begin to follow Roberts again.

"Uh, I should probably sleep in the same room as my sister!" Nagisa stutters out. It was expected that N would be protective of me, not wanting me to be alone with Black Roberts. It was only natural for an older brother, even though he knew I could fend for myself.

Suddenly, Yoh comes running in chasing after a pink parrot. "No, no men" the parrot squawks out.

Getting the parrot to land on his outstretched arm, Yoh says "It's fine, Nagisa, we have another cabin for you."

N, like a child, shoots the parrot an evil eye.

"This is Sakura" Yoh said, introducing the parrot. Her colour did very much resemble that of a sakura flower. "Right this way" Yoh says. And N follows, all the while glaring at that parrot. _What an enthralling rivalry forming . . ._

"By the way, Nagisa, you're really strong." I hear Yoh say from down the hall.

"Oh thanks, you yourself were very graceful in battle as well." N thanks him.

"Get a room!" I yell back down the hall at them. Roberts lets out a slight chuckle.

Once we're farther down the hall, I glance up at Roberts' sullen profile. He leads me to a small room in a separate hallway.

"You can use this room" He says. "Eyes has seen to the furnishings, so you shouldn't need anything else."

The room before me is unexpectedly clean and neat. It's by far the cleanest room I'd ever sleep in. I found it surprising that a room could be this clean on a pirate ship, what with the whole place being lived in by ruffians.

"Thank you" I said, stepping into the room. But Roberts grabs my shoulder and whips me around to face him. "Hey!" he says. He grabs hold of my waist-length hair, pulling on it so I'd be forced to look up at him. His face is so close I can feel his breath on my cheek. My heart begins to thump nervously.

"Lemme tell you this now" he says. "I'm not gonna treat you any different just because you're a woman!"

"Ok, great. Now can you let go of my hair, please?"

With all my strength, I push him away from me. Roberts only laughs.

"What? You think I'd try to make a move on a kid like you?" he asks.

Combing through my hair with my fingers, I say "I'm 21, I'm an adult thank you."

His dark eyebrows knit together in a frown, and then he laughs. "Life at sea is far harder than on land. Better prepare yourself for it. But with this much spirit, I'm sure you'll be fine, _honey_."

With that, Roberts takes his leave. I can hear his muffled laugh, cigar hanging from his lips, as he walks down the hallway.

"Honey, my ass" I say to myself as I make my way over to the vanity across the room. Just as I suspected, my hair was a mess after being tossed around so much. My hair was a side-parted, dirty blonde with the bottom layer dyed black with a simple herbal dye I had made, which my hair took surprisingly well to. My powder black eye makeup had been smudged at the outer corners of my eyes. In that moment I was glad I'd brought more with me in my small bucket-style bag.

My eyes themselves looked very tired. I had to admit that I was actually quite exhausted. So exhausted I don't even notice Yoh when he enters.

"Hey, brought you a blanket" he says. "Also here's some bread and beer if you're hungry."

Yoh proceeds to hand me the blanket and set my meal on the table beside my bed. "Thank Yoh" I say, giggling.

"You don't have to thank me" he says smiling.

I go sit down on my bed and wrap the blanket around my shoulders. Munching on my bread, I ask him "So how'd you get involved with these guys, anyway?"

Yoh sits down next to me. "Guys like Roberts? He's stubborn and violent, but I like him. He's a great pirate, better than I could ever hope to be. And I owe him my life" he tells me.

"Your life?"

"Yeah" Yoh says softly. "My mother was killed when pirates attacked Amamiku, or more accurately, Navy men disguised as pirates."

"I'm sorry" I say trying to comfort him.

"And the Queens Coast Navy did nothing to protect us. . . but Roberts saved me from being killed by one of the men. The fine details are unimportant, but I want you to know this: Roberts may be a pirate, but he fights for those who can't fight for themselves. And that's why I'll always follow him."

"And Izumi?" I ask, referencing his twin brother.

"He joined the Queens Coast. He's in denial about it not being pirates who attacked, so now he goes around hunting them."

That meant that they were enemies. I felt genuinely bad for Yoh; him and Izumi had been so close when I knew them. Now they were miles apart, hunting each other.

"Anyway, about Roberts, despite how he appears, he's looking after you" he said, interrupting my thoughts. I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "After all," Yoh began. "he's the one who ordered us to put together this room for you."

Ok, I had to admit that was kinda sweet.

"I know!" Yoh said suddenly. "Why don't you come up on deck first thing tomorrow morning? Then you'll see he's not just any pirate Captain."

I nod, agreeing to his cheerful request. "Sure, Yoh" I say smiling.

"Well, anyway, goodnight Avalon" he says before leaving my room.

While I trusted Yoh, I remained dubious. How could a man like Roberts be a good guy? But then I remembered that his whole crew followed him unconditionally, and I decided to give the guy a fair chance. Laying down in my bed, I let sleep consume me.

The next morning, I go up to the deck as promised to find the crew already hard at work.

Roberts strolls up behind me. "Alright you scoundrels! Breakfast time!" he yells, right into my ear, leaving me temporarily half deaf.

Just as I begin to register that it's time for food, all of the pirates leap into action and begin to set up a long table. I watch as they all take their places in their respected spots; some of them sitting on chairs, some on barrels.

"Hey kid," Roberts says, patting me on the back. "hurry up and sit down."

Across the way I see Yoh motion towards the empty seat next to him. I happily oblige and take a seat next to him.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder on this ship, my brother bursts out of the kitchen in an apron, pushing a rusty food cart.

"Alright, fellas. I worked real hard on this soup, so eat up dammit!" he shouts.

Wow, not even twenty-four hours and N's already part of the crew.

N then proceeds to take the empty seat next to me.

It's at that point that Roberts' voice rings out above the group. "Enough chatter!" he says sternly. I can't help but sit up straight at such an authoritative voice.

And then the feast begins. All around me, I see people shoving food into their mouth with amazing vigor and enthusiasm. Soon enough, I begin to eat as well.

After about twenty minutes, when everybody's finished eating, Roberts stands up and declares the table be cleared. And just like before, everything is cleaned up in an instant. I opt to wait on the sidelines, not wanting to get in anyone's way. I just watch, admiring how fast they work.

"Alright, cleaning time!" Roberts yells to the crew when all's said and done. "Get it done fast! No cutting corners!"

With that, everyone disperses and begins to clean, surprising me once again with the priority cleanliness holds with the crew.

Most of their tools are made of sandstone, which I guess is to scrub away the excess salt from the water. Smart.

Off to the side I hear Roberts commanding the crew members. "Hey! Quit slacking!" I hear him yell to one of them. Upon noticing me looking, Roberts strolls up to me.

"So, what do you think of my ship, Kid?" he asks. I think for a moment, then answer.

"Everyone seems wholeheartedly committed" I say honestly. "You lead them well."

When N is finished cleaning the kitchen, he comes over to me from behind and hugs me around my neck, again showing his brotherly protectiveness.

"Hey sis!" he says. "You sleep well?"

"Like the dead."

"Good."

Roberts raises an eyebrow at my answer. "It's unusual for a woman to be able to sleep so well on a ship like this."

"You wore me out" I retort flatly.

"You should be scared!" he scolded me. "Being too scared to sleep would be normal!"

N comes to my defense. "Ok, but why are you getting angry about it?" N asks. "I was able to sleep well too, what with the cute guy in the next hammock."

I can't help but giggle at my brother.

"I can't take any more of you two" Roberts says defeated and walks away. As if Roberts wasn't irritated already, Yoh comes running up to him in a fluster.

"Roberts, there's a crack at the foot of the main mast!" he reports.

"What?" Roberts says. "Reinforce it immediately. Eyes, look into getting a new mast. And Yoh, coordinate the replacement work."

The amount of trust he puts in his crew catches me off guard. I can't help the small smile on my lips.

"Not even Naval officers can run such a slick operation" N whispers to me.

"You're right, he's no ordinary pirate" I whisper back.

It was in that moment that I realized we were right to go to him for help. He's smart, brave, and knows how to run a crew. What else could you really ask for in an accomplice?


	4. Difficult

Chapter 4: Difficult

It's been a few days since I boarded the Black Swan with my brother in search of the Gardiner's Trove. Just like any other day, everyone works diligently. One group hangs wet ropes off the sail yard to dry, another group retwisting a loose rope. Like usual, Yoh greets me when I emerge from the hallway.

"Morning, Avalon!" he says. I wave to him. "Laundry day" he says, acknowledging the wicker basket in his arms. It is then that I notice a couple of guys around a vat of rainwater, singing as they wash their clothes. A sailor off to the side tosses me an apple. I catch it with one hand. I take a bite, the friendly mood of the ship relaxing me.

Apple in hand, I'm about to start back to my room when the hem of my ultra-short dress gets stuck on a split piece from one of the rails. That's the problem with wearing dresses that end well above my knees; it easily gets caught on things. I give my dress a tug, but it doesn't come free. It's then that I feel someone behind me, casting a shadow over my small frame. When I turn around, it's Roberts standing there.

"What's the problem?" he asks.

"Nothing important; I just got stuck is all."

Roberts sighs and rolls his eyes at me. "Troublemaker." His tone drips with annoyance. And with a light tug, I'm free. "Th-thanks" I say meekly.

"Don't you have any other clothes?" he asks me. "You know, ones that won't get stuck on things?"

"Not really, no."

Roberts seems perplexed by my response.

"Thanks" I say again before hurrying back to my quarters, slightly embarrassed by this awkward encounter. The more I thought about it, I came to the realization that I wouldn't have anything else to wear if I were to wash my outfit.

I sit cross-legged on my bed, looking out the circular window on the other side of the room. I sigh to myself, realizing how unsanitary wearing the same clothes for god knows how long without washing them would be. Just as I'm thinking about this, there's a knock on my door.

"Avalon? You in there?" I hear Yoh from the other side of the door. "Come in!"

The door opens and Yoh steps into my room, carrying some stuff in his arms.

"Roberts asked me to bring you these" he said.

"Roberts did?"

Yoh lays out an assortment of clothing on the bed next to me. Even though they're all men's trousers and shirts, I can't help but feel touched at such a sweet sentiment.

"Not sure if you'll use the pants much, but I'm sure you'll make use of the shirts" Yoh jokes, referencing how my stripper outfit.

"Ha, ha. Real funny" I say. "Nah, but in all seriousness you've pretty much nailed it."

"Why not just walk around naked at that point? I mean, that's not unusual for you, huh?"

I pout and playfully punch Yoh's arm, which is surprisingly hard as a brick.

"Yeah, Roberts is quite concerned about your lack of clothing options" Yoh says, bringing back the conversation. "Not that he'd ever admit that to you. . . It's not like he's inexperienced with escort women like yourself, minus the killing of course, but I think he has a certain respect for you since you have more respect for yourself than any other woman he's met. I guess he doesn't really know how to treat you in that regard."

I feel a blush work it's way onto my cheeks.

"It's actually kind of funny how angry that makes him" Yoh laughs. "Anyway, I'll go now so you can get changed. It's laundry day, so bring down your clothes if you want them washed."

And with that, Yoh lets himself out.

From the pile beside me, I dig out a gray dress shirt and put it over my underwear. I decide to leave on my stockings since they're fishnets anyway. Strolling over to the other side of the room, I take a look at myself in the mirror. If I didn't look like a slut before, I sure as hell did now. It was almost as if I'd actually slept with Roberts, but I pushed that thought to the side. I pulled a short piece of rope out from my bag, tying it around my waist and rolling up the sleeves to my elbows. It certainly wasn't anything I'd wear to town, but I figured here it was fine. What the hell, right?

When I get to the deck again, Roberts is ordering people around as usual. "Hey, Roberts?" I say coming up behind him.

"Hm?" He says.

Not expecting to see me dressed the way I am, his eyes widen and his cheeks flush.

"That is way too big for you" is all he could say. At this, I let a small smile creep onto my lips.

"I-I mean, not that you look bad in it!" He looks away as he says this, meanwhile I'm standing there with a cheeky smirk on my face and an eyebrow raised.

"I-I just mean you don't look too weird I guess" He says, second-guessing every word that comes out of his mouth. "I mean, it'd be very hard for you to look weird."

I let out a giggle. "Thank you" I say.

I re-tighten the rope around my waist as Yoh passes by.

"Hey, you look cute" he says to me.

"Really?"

"Yeah, totally cute. Right guys?" Yoh says to the men working nearby. I get a lot of yeahs and even a few whistles. All around, it seems as though everyone's response is positive.

"Oh! Laundry right?" Yoh says referring to the dress in my hands.

"Yeah" I say.

Yoh leads me down to the lower section of deck where the washing stations were. I got straight to work, scrubbing out the stains with a soapy concoction. When I finish, I go over to Yoh and ask if there's anything else I can do to help.

"Why don't you go help those guys over there scrub?" he says, pointing to a group of men scrubbing the walls and rails of the deck. I happily oblige, grabbing a scrubbing stone and joining them.

After a while of working, a tall shadow is cast over me for the second time. This time, when I turn around, I'm not surprised when it's Roberts standing there.

"Hey" Roberts says.

"Yeah?"

Out of nowhere, Roberts' anger flares up. "Why are you scrubbing the deck?" he asks. I'm surprised at his terrifying face, but I don't shrink away.

"I thought I'd help out and pull my weight around here. Problem?" I ask.

"There's no need for you to do anything" he says flatly.

"What if I _want_ to work?" I ask.

Roberts seems to be at a loss for words.

"You . . . You're actually . . ."

"Yes?"

"Um, well . . ."

"What is it?" I ask, taking a step closer.

Suddenly his anger flares up again. "Nothing!" he shouts at me to which I cringe slightly. He then spins on his heel and storms off.

 _What the hell was that about?_

* * *

 **Short and sweet!**


	5. Smashed

Chapter 5: Smashed

Since receiving several pairs of shirts and pants from Roberts, I've been alternating between wearing my clothes and his. I've also begun to join in on the cleaning on a regular basis since there was nothing else to do on the ship.

We docked in Tougate Harbor, much to my excitement. It's been weeks since I've stepped foot on dry land and I've had an itch to do some shopping as well. Some new clothes and stockings were going to be a nice treat!

"Ahh, the smell of civilization!" I exclaim while leaning over a railing. "Hey N? How much money do we have exactly?" N's the one who handled most of our finances.

"Enough" he says simply.

I feel nothing but pure bliss as visions of makeup and lingerie and bustier dresses dance in my head. Nagisa and I gab to each other about everything we want to buy like two little girls gossiping about a crush.

"Don't get carried away" Roberts says, coming up behind us.

Feeling cheeky, N says "What? Are you saying I shouldn't buy-"

Without letting N finish, he grabs my arm, pulling me away from my brother. At the pace he was walking, I had no choice but to follow.

"Hey! You can't just run off with her!" N yelled to my captor. But he ignores my brother's protests, and keeps on walking.

"I have business with her" is all Roberts says.

"What? Are you going to sell her off to the sex trade?" N yells.

"I don't trade in people" Roberts says without so much as turning around. Of course I still have no idea what the hell was going on, so I'm running through all possible scenarios in my head trying to figure it out.

"Where are we going?" I ask him in a dubious tone.

Roberts flashes me a grin. "Somewhere good" he says. My heart thumps nervously again. He was starting to sound like me with a 'client'.

He leads me to a bazaar in the heart of town. The sound of merchants shouting boisterously surrounds us.

"You're going shopping?" I yell to Roberts over all the noise.

"Yes, for you, though" he says. I raise an eyebrow at this. I definitely didn't expect Roberts to be the type to take a girl shopping.

"Whatever the circumstances, a girl can't go around wearing men's clothes forever" he says to me gently.

"I don't really mind, to be honest" I say, unintentionally triggering his nervous anger again.

"Well I do!" he yells before suddenly calming down. "I'm sorry. It's just that you're, ah, different from any other escort girl I've met."

He goes on awkwardly, stumbling on his words, but that's all I needed to hear. 1) I never expected to hear an apology from him. Ever. And 2) I'd have never expected to hear him admit he was wrong.

"It's okay" I say, stopping him. "Thank you."

Roberts' cheeks flush for the second time since I've known him. I find myself staring at his face again, taking in his features. When he notices me looking at him, his anger flares up again.

"Don't stare at me like that!" he says. "Let's just go shopping."

Roberts lets me lead him around the square, letting me stop anywhere I want.

I finally stop in front of a place that sells women's intimates. I could easily embarrass the hell out of the pirate by making him buy me lingerie, but I don't. Instead I just pick out a few of my signature style dress: bustier corset dresses. Honestly, I found it kind of empowering wearing that kind of thing. It just wasn't fair that it was socially acceptable for men to go around in very little clothing, but not women unless they were prostitutes. It wasn't just that I actually _was_ kind of a prostitute, I was trying to make a statement. Even despite the fact that I usually got unwanted responses men.

As we're about to leave for that night's lodgings, I hear the shout of a merchant rise above everyone else. "Hey! Stop that kid!"

Not a minute later, a small boy clutching various vegetables accidentally runs into Roberts' legs.

"What the hell's going on here?" Roberts asks, lifting the boy by the scruff of his neck into the air. "P-Put me down!" the boy cries.

Roberts, unsympathetic, says "Well, well, well it seems as though I've caught myself a petty thief."

"Let me go!" the boy tries again.

The stall owner comes running over, panting.

"Here, let him off" Roberts says, flipping the stall owner a silver coin despite the fact that it's worth more than the cost of the vegetables.

"What do you know? I've been reimbursed. No complaints from me" the store owner says as he accepts the coin and shuffles off.

As soon as he's out of sight, Roberts sets the boy back down and gives the boy a handful of silver coins. "Go get your brothers and sisters some bread and meat, alright kid?"

The kid nods enthusiastically.

"Just don't steal anymore, alright?"

The kid nods again and thanks him. "Aren't you a pirate though?" the boy asks. "Don't pirates steal?"

"Hey, I am no petty thief!" Roberts bellows. "I am a great pirate lord!"

I facepalm right there. _Arrogance much? But that was kind . . ._

"A man shouldn't live a petty life! Even if it's just for show, you've gotta be proud and persevere!"

And with that, Roberts pats the boy on the head and the boy goes pattering off. I'm left there smiling at Roberts.

"That was cute" I say. "You care." Immediately, Roberts goes into tough-guy mode.

"What? No I don't! Are you an idiot?" he scolds me. He's blushing again, even the tips of his ears are growing red.

"I call 'em like I see 'em" I say with a sassy smirk on my face.

"Shut up! Next time you say something like that I'll feed you to the sharks! . . . I just understand what it's like, okay?"

"Okay" I say solemnly.

I can't help but find this childish attitude he has at times adorable, but what I really can't get over is his soft side. _I guess Yoh was right . . ._

Our walk back is silent. Just the right amount of awkward. I feel this warm and fuzzy feeling growing inside my chest. Little by little Roberts shares more and more of himself with me, and I genuinely appreciate it coming from someone with such masculine pride.

That night, Roberts takes me to a bar near our lodgings. The place is packed with other crews docked at the harbor since this is the closest bar to their ships. From the moment we walk in, I have to ignore whistles and cat calls from across the room, but this is nothing new for me. And for once, I'm not at a bar to kill anyone; I'm here to have fun for the first time in a long time.

"Hey! Over here!" Yoh, who must've arrived here before us, yells to us from the bar. I sit between the men, and we order some heavy booze for the three of us.

"Are you sure you can handle this stuff? It's pretty strong" Roberts warns me.

"I can drink more than any man!" I exclaim, almost but not really flirting.

After a few rounds, I have to excuse myself to the bathroom to piss. But when I come back, I find Roberts drawing his sword towards a man in what appears to be a military uniform. I go running up to them, feeling as though I'm in a powder keg that could spark at any moment.

* * *

 **Yeah, I rewrote the bar scene. Deal with it (cue sunglasses and CSI-style "YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHH")**


	6. Tempest

Chapter 6: Tempest

"Hahaha . . . I'll fucking kill you!" is the first thing Roberts says as the other man draws his sword.

Roberts opponent has a peculiar look to him with his silvery hair and eyepatch. He wears the uniform of a high-ranking military officer. He's tall and lean, but by no means is he skinny. Toned would be the best way to describe him

The two stare daggers at each other. Not one person from our crew, nor theirs, makes a move to stop them, so I do.

"Not here, please" I say stepping between them. The thought that it would be very easy to be killed doesn't cross my mind at the moment.

"Out of my way!" says eyepatch, trying to shove me to the side. But I don't budge.

"No! You two need to calm the fuck down!" I shout. I refuse to move until the both put their weapons away. I'd seen many bar fights in my day, many both with and without weapons, and they almost always end up with one guy out cold. And though I knew Roberts was strong, this isn't a risk I'm willing to take.

Just then a blonde man in a similar uniform to eyepatch over here approaches us. The floral scent that clings to him throws me off.

"You're quite the troublemakers, aren't you?" he says. "We're in a neutral territory, meaning fighting is taboo. So I wouldn't cause a scene unless you want to be subject to court-martial."

"Lord Effingham?" eyepatch asks. "You're here too?"

 _Lord Effingham? That must mean he's the nephew to the Queen of the Queens Coast. . ._

 _"_ Look at how distressed the lady is; where's your chivalry, Captain?" Effingham says to eyepatch. I giggle. Finally, a gentleman.

Eyepatch falls silent and lowers his hatchet.

Effingham turns to Roberts. "And you, Black Baron, won't you lower your sword?"

"Tch, I've lost the urge to fight anyway" Roberts says, still trying to maintain his tough attitude. And I feel the tension drain from my shoulders.

"I was gonna drink here 'til morning," Roberts continues. "but the smell of the queen's men in the air makes me want to vomit. Let's go."

As Roberts leads us out of the bar, I follow, just glad that a potentially fatal altercation had been avoided. I ignore the queen's men calling out to me as I leave.

Back at the Black Swan, I'm still thinking about what just happened. I decide to visit Yoh in his room. Unlike my room, his quarters were mostly bare despite the fact that he was sharing them with Nagisa.

"Yoh?" I called out in the dark room. Out of the corner of my eye I see some shuffling in one of the hammocks.

"Yoh?" I ask again. There's some more rustling and then the hammock spits out Yoh onto the floor. "What? Were you wrestling the hammock?"

"Yes, it was an intense battle to the death" Yoh says. "Anyway, what did you want?"

"What happened back at the bar?" I ask, taking a seat on one of the empty barrels.

"Oh that? Roberts and Drake are old friends."

"Drake?" I ask.

"Guy with the eyepatch."

"Oh."

Yoh continues. "Drake was born into a poor family, Roberts' family was shattered by war so they just naturally banded together" he explained. "They joined a pirate crew together and Roberts was able to make a name for himself as a pirate when he was still in his teens. And then he left to start his own crew. Drake resented him for leaving, so he joined the Queens Coast of all things."

"And they've been at each other's throats ever since" I finished. Yoh laughs.

"Yeah, pretty much."

I thought about it for a second. "So they have a lot in common, don't they? Roberts leads a crew that fights for the weak without needlessly killing people . . ."

"Yoh!" Nagisa sing-songs as he opens the door. "Oh, Avalon, you're here too?" he asks.

"I was just leaving" I say, deciding I'd like to spend some time on my own for a while.

"You weren't telling him nasty things about me, were you?" N asks jokingly.

I laugh. "Don't worry, N, I won't steal your man."

I say goodbye to Yoh and leave for my room. Walking down the hall, I think about it some more.

 _Despite his good intentions, Roberts really lives without conviction, doesn't he?_

I recall the countless newspaper articles I've read about pirates being hanged. I cringe knowing that its a possibility for Roberts and his crew.

All of a sudden there's a loud boom. The floor shakes violently and I come crashing to the ground. I hear yells about the Arc Royale from up on deck, and I race up the stairs. From the deck I see the Arc Royale, the Queens Coast ship, coasting toward us, casting its lights over the darkened water.

"What? Is he trying to settle our grudge on land out here at sea?" ask Yoh, who is suddenly right next to me.

"Fucking hell!" Roberts yells, storming onto the deck.

There's another boom, making it apparent that we've been hit by another of their cannon shots. Though it misses the ship's core, the main mast goes up in flames.

"Eyes!" Roberts calls out. Eyes is there in an instant.

"Yes, sir?"

"Kick those sorry bastards in their asses!"

"Yes, Captain."

Roberts then turns to Yoh. "Yoh! Get on the cannons! Fire on them from behind!"

Yoh hurriedly gets to his post and prepares the cannons.

Turning to me, Roberts says "Avalon! Get somewhere safe! Where's Nagisa?"

"I've been here the whole time" N says from right behind Roberts. "Honestly, I've been waiting on baited breath to see when you'd notice me."

"Take your sister and hide near the entrance to the cabins!" Roberts says.

There's another boom, another shell hitting us. I topple to the ground again, but this time Roberts catches me. "I said get to the cabins!" Roberts yells again. "It's dangerous out here!"

"I'm not gonna let you die or get carried off by the navy!" he says, still holding me. "Not until I get my treasure."

I nod, and turn to run. N and I end up hiding right at the cabin entrance behind a thick wooden wall.

"Hard starboard, turn us right!" I hear Roberts yell.

Another boom.

"Argh, we've been hit to starboard!" yells one of the crew members.

"It's not enough to sink us!" Roberts yells back. "They're burning more than we are."

Looking out from around my safe haven that is this wall, I notice that the Arc Royale is almost engulfed in flames. The sea between the two ships is now thick with smoke, making it almost impossible to tell which ship has sustained more damage. I am suddenly overcome with fear.

Noticing my discomfort, N holds me, rocking slightly. "It's okay, it's okay" he whispers over and over again. "If it looks like we're going to sink, we'll fun to the rowboats."

Biting my lip, I peek around the corner again to the dark figure of Black Roberts shouting orders to the rest of his crew. All of a sudden, the air starts to fill with the damp smell of rain. A storm's coming.

Like clockwork, the skies suddenly open and rain pours down on us, the two ships battered by the intense rain. The thunders rage against the sea like a dragon.

"Captain, the Arc Royale is backing down!" I hear Eyes yell.

"Alright, time for us to withdraw as well!" Roberts says. "We can't fight in this storm, they won't pursue."

That's the last thing I remember before I lose consciousness.

I open my eyes to the ceiling in my room. Sensing someone next to me, I turn my head to find Roberts sitting on a crate by my bedside.

"Roberts?" I ask, still half asleep.

He says nothing and instead places his hand over my eyes, gently closing my eyelids. His cold hand feels nice on my face.

"...sleep some more" he finally says. And somehow I drift back into dreamland.

The next time I open my eyes, my cabin is filled with light from the window. When I turn my head, I find that Eyes has take Roberts' place on the crate.

"So you're finally awake. Your fever has abated too" he says.

"Where'd Roberts go?" I ask. "He was here last night, right?"

"You should ask him about that."

Eyes' familiar bitch face is somehow comforting in this moment. "Oh, speak of the devil" he says looking up as I hear my door open.

"Eyes, is she still asleep?" I hear Roberts voice ask.

"Actually," Eyes says. "she's just woken up."

I hear my door close and Roberts sits down on the crate. He isn't looking at me, but I say it anyway.

"You brought me here last night, thank you" I say sincerely.

His cheeks flush a bright pink once again. "Whatever, it was nothing."

I roll over to my side and prop up my head on my elbow. "You don't have to act tough; I know you stayed with me the whole time."

Embarrassed, Roberts scolds me. "All I did was sit here! I didn't do anything!"

"It's still very sweet" I say with a flirty smile, making his cheeks go even redder.

"What? Are you an idiot?" he scolds me again, still blushing like he's the idiot. Quieting down, he says "So are you okay now? Does your head hurt?" His genuinely concerned tone warms my heart.

"I'm fine" I say. "I think it was just the cold rain."

Roberts smirks. "Yeah, you're pretty tough aren't you? By far the toughest whore I've ever met. But you're still small. . . Everyone was worried you were gonna die on us."

"I wouldn't die so easily" I say, pulling the top of my dress down just slightly, just enough so he can see a few of my stab wounds. At first he's confused at what I'm doing, but then he sees.

"You're right, you are pretty strong. I like that about you" he says, avoiding eye contact.

Still without looking at me, he readjusts the cold cloth on my forehead. "Anyway, get better soon. We miss your yapping."


	7. Lazarus

**I had David Bowie's "Lazarus" on repeat as I wrote this chapter. I feel as though this song was his all too haunting way to say goodbye, and I felt like it fit with this chapter both aesthetically and contextually.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Lazarus

Later that day, I hear a commotion on deck so I go up there to see what's the matter. As soon as I'm there, I understand.

Fog as far as the eye can see surrounds the ship. On the far end, I hear Eyes yell to the crew. "Light the torches at the stern and the bow" he says, his reassuring bitch-faced smile is nowhere to be found. He speaks in an uncharacteristically stern voice, yelling orders left and right. Not being able to see off into the horizon is a terrifying feeling. The uneasy feeling works its way deep into my stomach and out again. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my arms are covered in goosebumps.

"That's not like you" Roberts says, sensing my uneasiness. I turn around and there he is. I say nothing. Noticing the disturbed look on my face, he grabs onto my shoulders and pulls me closer. He peers down into my eyes, into my soul, his face so close I can feel his breath. And despite his overwhelming presence, I remember how good-looking he is as I take in his features once again. His eyes are narrowed, softening his usual daggered gaze. "You're shaking like a leaf" he says.

He grasps my hand, holding it up for me to see. Sure enough, I'm trembling. "I didn't notice before" I say. A slight smile spreads across his face.

"That's because you're tough" he says, closing his hand around mine.

Off in the distance I hear a faint ring floating through the air. "Roberts, did you hear something?" I ask him, turning my head to gaze off to the direction the sound came from. A shiver runs down my spine, and without realizing it, I press closer to Roberts.

"...I didn't hear anything" he says. But he draws me closer to his chest anyway, more protective than even Nagisa. He chuckles.

"You really are a woman" he says as I return my attention back to him. "Here you were, sleeping like a rock, eating heartily, helping out around the ship . . . made me forget-"

I notice him look down to my chest, which at this point is pressed up against him through his unbuttoned shirt, and then back up again. I smirk. "That I'm a girl?" I ask, finishing his sentence. He pats me on the head.

"Anyway, don't worry, we're all here with you" he says, rubbing my back with an innocent smile on his face. That smile sets my heart racing again.

"Don't worry about me" I say. "I'm a big, tough girl; I can tie my own laces and everything."

"Whatever kid."

I roll my eyes. "Like I said, 21, fully-fledged adult" I remind him.

He smirks at me. "Treating you like an adult would end with you in my bed, you okay with that?" he asks jokingly. I only roll my eyes again.

"Just kidding" he laughs, backtracking as he holds me tight. With his arms wrapped around me like this, I feel buried in his huge frame. But despite all this, I begin to feel a sense of security. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much I like standing with him like this.

"Hm?" Roberts says, suddenly raising his head to look around. "...I hear it now."

We listen intently, and sure enough, I hear the faint ringing again. It's got an eerily haunting sound to it; harsh and metallic, like harp strings plucked violently. I freeze upon hearing it.

"My head . . . hurts" I say, pressing my hand to my forehead.

Suddenly, Roberts is in a panic. "Crap! It's the mermaid's song!" he says.

"Mermaid's song?" I ask, looking up at him. All the while the sound reverberates louder and louder on the inside of my skull, even though on the outside, it remains faint. Looking around, I see the rest of the crew doubled over, holding their heads.

"We mustn't listen to it!" Eyes yells from off.

"Cover your ears!" I hear Yoh shout out.

"Avalon?" I hear my brother's voice call to me from far away.

"I'm fine" I yell back.

"Don't listen to it!" Roberts scolds me. He covers my head to protect me from the sound, his big hands clamp down over my ears. But just as the smoky, rich scent of cigars envelopes me, I begin to fade in and out of consciousness. I hear someone calling my name as if they're far off, and then it fades away completely.

I open my eyes again in a dark room. But despite it's darkness, it somehow feels translucent. I slowly get out of the bed I've awoken in, feeling a cold air on my skin as I remove the covers, and I get goosebumps again. Someone is here with me.

I turn around to see a tall man with long limbs and hair emerge from the shadows of the corner. He's dressed in very ornate clothing and a crown upon his head.

"Don't look so shocked" he says, his voice reminding me of the sound I'd heard earlier; harsh and eerily haunting. His skin is pure white like that of a mime or a porcelain doll. His lifeless eyes stare into my soul. I am suddenly overcome with a sweet sense of seduction radiating from him.

"Where the hell am I?" I ask. Seemingly uninterested in my question, he takes his time before answering it.

"I am Heine, the captain of this ghost ship" is all he says.

"Ghost ship" I repeat, everything around me starting to make sense, yet still making no sense at all. "I'm supposed to be aboard the Black Swan" I say. My voice is shaking.

"Are you worried about them?" Heine asks me after a few moments. He continues staring at me with his emotionless glass eyes.

After a few moments of nothing, I finally ask "Why'd you kidnap me?"

I thought for a moment, and then added "Also how?"

And of course, Heine is not in any hurry to answer any of my questions. "I have business with you" is all he says.

Then I decide to ask him directly. "Is this 'business' you have with me about the Gardiner's Trove? Because if it is, there's no wa-"

"I'm glad you're so perceptive."

"Okay . . ."

"I know much about the Gardiner's Trove."

Even despite his disinterested tone, I decide to press him further. "Like what, for example?"

"What it truely is" he says, taking several steps in my direction. I instinctively move backwards with him until he stops and says "A biological weapon; a virus."

"Virus?" I repeat quizzically.

"A virus so contagious, so fatal . . . it could wipe out humanity" Heine tells me. "Created by the ancient civilization to surpass God and create humanity themselves. And they were successful."

"I-I don't-"

"This virus, in the amount of time it took to create the world supposedly by a God, seven days, will wipe out the entire human population upon it's release."

"Then how are people still alive?" I interrupt.

"You did not let me finish. . . Fortunately, the virus has an antidote. But the rest is, ah, difficult. But how you are to open the casket, my dear, is what you must know."

I nod eagerly.

"It requires a certain relic, a certain . . . rosary, stained with the blood of the royal family that guards it. Only a drop upon the cross, that is the key."

"The key, huh?"

"One more thing," And then suddenly he's right in front of me, too close for comfort. "burn the casket's contents. That is the only way to kill such a virus."


	8. Break

**Ok, Imma be real honest: I fuggin hate chapter 8 of Roberts' route. I don't know, I just felt like the whole scene with Heine was a lot longer than I would've liked. I feel like it should've ended like where I ended the last chapter. So again, I've rewritten this chapter a whole lot to mold it to my liking. Furthermore, I kind of wanted an Alice In Wonderland vibe for this chapter, so naturally I was listening to Avril Lavigne's "Alice" over and over. . . ye**

* * *

Chapter 8: Break

Heine begins to gradually fade away, and I suddenly feel as though I'm falling backwards. I reach my hand out, looking to grasp onto anything, but I reach nothing. My messy hair flutters out in front of me and I'm falling into dark transparency below me. I black out for what feels like the millionth time.

The first thing I notice is an overwhelming smell of flowers as I begin to regain consciousness. I sit up and take in my surroundings. Sure enough, the ground is covered in the petals of the darkest red roses I'd ever seen. The walls around me seem like endless black, yet a sheen of blueish mist coats the air. The solitude I've found myself in causes me to begin to panic. If there was one thing I feared, it was the feeling of being truly alone. And here I was, forced to face this feeling.

I begin to tear up slightly, and for some reason the first person who comes to mind is Roberts. I know he's looking for me. Because despite his inherent masculine toughness, I know he cares. And while the thought comforts me, it makes my silent tears begin to fall and I'm not sure why. When I'd first met him, all i saw was that overly stubborn and violent exterior. But in being drawn to him through some strange force, I'd come to know a man who _is_ stubborn and violent, but also smart and even thoughtful. I lay down on my side in a fetal position, letting the salty tears slide down my cheeks, yet I smile.

"You look pretty down in the dumps" I hear a deep voice from behind me. It startles me at first, and I wonder if I'm hallucinating. But when I turn my head, there he is.

Roberts is standing there, soaking wet.

"Honestly, what the hell are you doing?" he asks me. "I didn't think I'd ever see you cry . . ."

"Roberts!" I say sitting up again. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Idiot. I'm here because you are."

He wraps his arms around my head, pulling me to his chest once again. There's something comforting about the way he does it.

"You're shaking. . . not a good look for you" he tells me. But I'm just so damn happy to see him.

"I busted a gut trying to find you" he says. "But thanks to Eyes we were able to spot the ghost ship off in the distance once the fog cleared."

That's right, his demon eye. When Eyes would take off his glasses and cover one eye, he could see with the other farther than any normal human.

"Why'd you come alone?" I ask Roberts, drying my tears.

"I thought it'd just be easier to come alone" Roberts tells me. "Why? Should I have not come?"

"No, no" I say grabbing onto him. Red in the face, he raps his knuckles against my forehead.

"I thought I was hallucinating" I manage to get out.

Roberts chuckles and reassures me: "Don't worry, I'm real."

He leans his head towards me so that his nose almost touches mine. The lack of space between us almost feels natural.

"Why were you crying?" he quietly asks me, making me almost start crying again.

"I just hate feeling alone . . ." I squeak out. I try to draw away from him out of not wanting to seem weak, but he instantly pulls me back to him. "No" he says.

"Roberts" I say, looking up into his eyes.

"It's okay, everything's okay. You're going to find the Gardiner's Trove" he says, comforting me. "Believe in yourself like I do."

"It's just that it's not what I thought it was."

Roberts raises an eyebrow at this.

"It's no weapon, it's . . . a virus of some sort. It has the power to kill everyone in a matter of days and-" my voice trails on, overwhelmed at the task I'd been presented with. But Roberts stops me.

"Well, just kill it then."

"That's the plan" I say. "I'll burn it."

"Anyway, Roberts, I'm sorry" I say settling into his chest. "Sorry you had to come get me."

"Hey, I came because I _wanted_ to."

His response shocks me. He _wanted_ to?

"When someone steals something from you" he continues. "you go after them and get it back."

His choice of words continues to surprise me.

"We have a deal," he says. "meaning I have preferential rights to you. I won't hand you over to anyone! You're _my_ problem, and I'll knock down anyone who tries to get in my way."

My hands ball up into tight fists and I begin to feel the pitter-patter of my heart flaring up again.

"Now let's get out of here" he says, his voice suddenly sounding serious. A wave of nostalgia floats over me as Roberts picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. He gets a running start and then jumps, and I begin to feel like I'm falling again. I open my eyes at the splashing sound of water, I take a look around and I am indeed underwater. I look down to Roberts, who is swimming up to the surface, and I do the same. He climbs onto a rowboat and hoists me on as well. Once aboard, I look up, expecting to see the ghost ship, however there is nothing there.

"Let's never come back here again" Roberts says as we begin to row away.


	9. Nightfall

Chapter 9: Nightfall

A few days after the fog, the Black Swan drops anchor into another harbor to load up on food and other supplies. Though the small harbor town isn't as energetic as Tougate, the place still has a nice, earthy aesthetic to it. But like in Tougate, we'll be staying at a small inn right off the docks. It'll be the first time I wouldn't be sleeping on the ship in a while. Since it's in such a rural area, the inn was actually more of a guest house. Plus it was self-catered.

I decided to help my brother, Nagisa, with the meal tonight since there was no cleaning to be done. I was no cook, but I enjoyed helping out.

"Mmm, smells good!" Roberts exclaims as N and I bring out the meal. Roberts eyes are sparkling like a little kid on Christmas.

"Sorry if it tastes like shit," I say. "I was helping out, so, y'know. . ."

Roberts takes a tentative bite of the Sicilian bruschetta I'd made. He says nothing at first, and I wait anxiously to see his reaction. And then finally, after what feels like forever, Roberts says "This ain't bad."

I hide a smile and begin to eat, secretly relieved my cooking isn't terrible.

"Are you gonna eat this?" he asks, reaching over to my portion.

"Nah, you can have it."

Roberts is eagerly shoving food in his mouth, almost done when I've only eaten a few bites. He takes in huge mouthfuls before washing it down with rum. And though I had made several plates of the bruschetta, I was beginning to wonder if it was going to be enough.

"Damn, this is fucking delicious!" Roberts tells me. He barely touches anything else on his plate, he's just shoveling my bruschetta into his mouth and I can't help but blush. I didn't cook very much back home but apparently I should've because everyone seemed to love my cooking.

"I'm glad you like it" I flirt. My flirting has the desired effect, because Roberts turns away bashfully.

"Yeah" he says all embarrassed.

"I'll cook for you again sometime."

"Yeah, I'd like that" he says, still trying not to look at me.

The fact that he really likes my food makes me happy, even though I would never admit it out loud. Roberts is still smiling like an idiot when the meal is over.

N's face turns cold as he enters the room again. "What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Well, I have done some _reconnaissance"_ he explains. I roll my eyes.

"Okay Merriam Webster, get to the point."

Nagisa shrugs. "Basically there are disguised Queens Coast and Saint's Cross guys hanging around here."

"Why on earth would they be here?" I ask, sitting down next to Roberts.

Roberts turns to me. "You'll have to be on your guard now, you're a wanted woman" he tells me.

"I've been a wanted woman all my life. Just now they know my name is all" I say. The weight of this realization weighs down on me with the force of several apples, but I don't show it.

"Well I'm still way more wanted than you!" Roberts challenges me. "The price on my head is over a million."

I raise my eyebrow, giggling. "That's not really something to brag about."

Then Roberts transitions back into Captain-mode and starts giving out orders to the crew. "Nagisa, you keep watch in the corridor! Avalon will sleep in my room."  
I'm surprised at what he says, just the boldness of it. Apparently it surprises Nagisa as well because he instantly comes over, stepping in between me and Roberts, shielding me from him.

"Nuh-Uh! You are NOT going to lay a finger on her!"

"Calm down, calm down. It's just in case they find out we're here. She'll be the safest by my side-"

" _Sure,_ don't try to tell me-"

"HA! Like I'd try anything with a kid like her!"

Suddenly N's focus changes. "Are you saying my little sister's not attractive, you little pri-"

"It's fine, Nagisa" I interrupt my brother, calling him by his full name for the first time in ages. And he does back off, but he still keeps the suspicious look on his face.

"Fine, Roberts. Take care of her" my brother says before leaving to scope out the best possible exits in the hallways.

After we've cleaned up from the meal and wiped down the table, I follow Roberts back to his room. As soon as he steps foot in the room, he collapses on the bed and yawns widely.

"Time to sleep" he says face down on the bed. "Let's get to bed early."

"Sounds good" I say, walking across the room to change into my nightclothes. I stand facing away from him, pulling my dress over my head, leaving me in just my bra and panties. No shame on my part. I can feel Roberts' eyes on me as I unhook my my bra and pull on a cotton nightie, and I'm blushing as I fold my clothes neatly and place them on the dresser.

When I turn around, Roberts beckons me from his spot on the bed. I hesitate.

"You're going to sleep beside me, aren't you?" he asks.

"Really?"

"Look, I know I'm a big guy, but there's enough space to fit both of us" he says. "Are you saying you'd be too cramped?"

At this point, he's glaring at me so I just shrug and crawl in next to him. He turns his back to me and as soon as we're both settled he says "You know, you shouldn't just change in front of a man like that."

I smirk even though I know he can't see it. "I thought you said I was a kid?"

When he doesn't respond I know I've won, and I can sleep soundly. But I don't fall asleep instantly like Roberts does, no, I have to deal with that awkward quietness of being the last one awake and just having to think about stuff. And I come to realize, that if Roberts rolls over, he'll crush me. I'm also pretty sure that if Nagisa knew that we were sleeping in the same bed, he would not be happy. Maybe it was better off he didn't know.

I lay there for a while, contemplating life and such, until Roberts, who had been sleeping soundly until now, stirs. He suddenly rolls over in his sleep, closing the gap between us. He then wraps his arms around me, pulling me to him from my waist. The smell of cigars and the sea envelops me. I squirm around a little bit, but his grip doesn't let up. I can feel the beat of his heart on my back. And then he begins mumbling things and his hold on me finally lets up. I take this opportunity to get up and get a breath of fresh air, sure that no one but Nagisa would be up at this hour.

I put a throw blanket over my shoulders and step outside into the inn's garden. The outside world is still and silent, quite a calming atmosphere. All I can hear is the faint sound of boisterous voices from a bar way far off.

"The wind is different on land than at sea" I think to myself as I contemplate going back to the room. And then all of a sudden I hear a voice behind me that makes me jump out of my skin.

"Avalon" I hear behind me.

"Oh, Izumi, I haven't seen you in such a long time!" I say excitedly. Though I knew he was part of the Queens Court, I hadn't expected to run into him.

"I'm sorry" he says, making me utterly confused.

"What?" I ask.

Izumi's face twists into a bitter expression as he presses a white cloth to my face with a strong-smelling chemical that I know is chloroform. I attempt to fight him off, but eventually my vision distorts and Izumi catches me in his arms as I pass out.


	10. Mine

**Another chapter I hated writing. Why does the MC always have to get kidnapped? I mean, I know it's a chance for your guy to save you but god damn. How about a strong female character for once Ntt Solmare, hm?** **As a feminist, I find this triggering. lol**

 **Also I imagine the first scene here to kind of be like the drug dealer scene in the Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" It's great, go watch it. Legit though it's pretty hilarious.**

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Chapter 10: Mine

"Long time, no see Avalon" I hear Izumi's voice as my eyes flutter open. As expected, I'm in an unfamiliar cabin on an unfamiliar ship. I get out of bed and forcefully push Izumi.

"Fuck you, you fucking asshole!" I shout at him. "Like seriously, what the fuck?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Izumi squeaks out.

"What's going on? What the fuck is going on!"

"Nothing, I-"

"This is not nothing! Where am I?"

"Everythings fine-"

"Why did you kidnap me?" I scream at him.

"It's nothing like that-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Izumi begins to tear up. "Stop ganging up on me!"

My head hurts, my thoughts are hazy, and I sure as hell am pissed the fuck off. Childhood friend or not. "Where am I?"

"Y-You're on the Arc Royale" I finally get him to say.

"Take me back to the Black Swan!" I say.

"You're not my fucking mother" Izumi says, sniffling. "She's dead! And those pirates, they killed her!"

I am fed up with all these damn misconceptions about pirates. I have been on a ship with these pirates for months and nothing bad has happened to me. It pisses me off because I know what it's like to be misunderstood. I'm a woman, a whore, I have to deal with this shit on a daily basis, but I can handle it. I pride myself in my ability to stick up for people, similar to how Roberts fights for the weak. And I am fed up with Izumi! Not just because he drugged and kidnapped me, but because the Black Pirates did not kill his mother. He's wrong!

"That's . . . they're not. . ." I hesitate to tell him, since Roberts and Yoh think it's best for him not to know. It's not something I have the right to say.

"You're running from Saint Cross, aren't you? That's why you took up with these pirates, right?" Izumi says firmly.

I sigh. "That's true, Izumi, but-"

"Don't worry, the Queens Coast will keep you safe."

I press my hands to my head that's still dizzy from all the chemicals. The more Izumi says, the more angry I become.

"But I _want_ to go back!" I plead.

But Izumi shuts me down immediately. "You can't! Roberts is a heinous criminal and a wanted man" he says matter-of-factly.

"So am I!" I shout at him, full well knowing he doesn't know what I'm talking about. "They may be pirates, but they treat me with respect, unlike you apparently!"

Izumi frowns. "Pirates must be wiped out, that is justice."

"Izumi" I try again, however my voice trails off in the face of his dark tone.

All of a sudden, there's a loud explosion and the ship rocks violently. It's all to familiar as I topple over. Everyone's shouting from the deck above us can even be heard in here. There's the sound of cannon fire, and I know Roberts is here to save me. Flashing a quick smirk in Izumi's direction, I get up and kick down the door. I have no idea where to go, but I look for stairs, my only vague instruction to go up. Knowing Izumi is after me, adrenaline pumps through my veins.

When I reach the deck, I'm greeted by the intolerable screech of a lookout's whistling and smoke-filled air. I begin to cough as the gunpowder-tainted air fills my lungs. Grabbing onto a railing for support, I'm doubled over in a coughing fit. As Izumi reaches the deck, another shot rocks the ship. Off in the distance I can see Drake's hardened expression as he glares at the Black Swan.

"We're hit on the port side!" I hear a sailor yell. "At this rate we'll sink!"

"The auxiliary mast has been hit! It's useless!" yells another.

From off to the side, I hear the deep voice of the blonde man from before. "Black Roberts is serious today. . . Maybe we shouldn't have taken his woman. . ."  
Lord Effingham speaks leisurely as he waves smoke away from his face.

"There's nothing for it! Change course! Hard to port!" Drake yells to his crew.

"Out with the frying pan and into the Kraken's nest" Effingham says, as if this happens every other weekend.

Just as the Arc Royale turns around, the ship is suddenly drastically tilt, making it impossible for it to stand. I clutch onto the railing as tightly as I can, praying that I not fall into the dark abyss that is the waters below. My eyes begin to strain as dust obstructs my view of the Black Swan. And then I realize that the bow of the Black Swan is leaning right onto the deck of the Arc Royale.

There's Roberts, standing right where the two ships meet, shotgun in hand.

"Alright you bastards!" he yells from his ship. "Say hi to the devil for me, because you're gonna die tonight!"

I have never been so relieved to hear someones voice in all my life. Behind Roberts stands his crew, all armed and dangerous.

"Avalon, don't move; I'm coming for you" Roberts yells to me. I try to yell back to him but I take in a lungful of gunpowder smoke and go into another coughing fit.

"I'm taking back my treasure!" Roberts screams out from amidst the chaos.

I look up to find ropes being flung from the Black Swan onto the Arc Royale, pirates piling onto them like ants on a picnic. There's a huge dip as the weight distribution on the higher up side of the ship evens out.

"Alright, you scurvy dogs!" Yoh exclaims as he swings onto the Royale.

As soon as Roberts lands in front of me we both reach out to each other, but not before one of the Queens men grabs hold of me.

"Don't you dare take what's mine!" Roberts threatens him as he points his gun.

But before Roberts can do anything, I elbow the man in the collar bone as hard as I can. There's a loud crack, and he lets go of me. But neither me nor Roberts could've anticipated Drake suddenly grabbing me tightly around the arms.

"Playing dirty as usual, huh Roberts?" Drake says, tightening his hold on me.

"I see you got fat" Roberts taunts flatly. Drake squints very menacingly.

"I'm warning you Roberts," Drake says. "I seriously going to kill you."

Roberts laughs and draws his gun, aiming at Drake's head. "Is that so?"

Drake throws me aside and runs at Roberts with his hatchet raised high above his head. As the distance between them closes, Drake swings down, but misses. Robets nimbly dodges the blow and thrusts the muzzle of his shotgun at his opponent. But before he's able to pull the trigger, Drake barrels into his side. Roberts tumbles to the floor and rolls out of the hatchet's way, opening the space between them once again.

"You bastard! Come fight me hand to hand!" yells Drake in a bitter tone.

"Nah," Roberts says cooly, an arrogant smile displayed proudly upon his face. "I can blow your head off from here."

This time, Roberts fires. But Drake is able to evade the bullet. He takes this opportunity to come at Roberts with his hatchet in tow.

I scream out as blood splatters through the air. But when I look, the one covered in his own blood is Drake, as Roberts had somehow stabbed him with . . . _my_ dagger?

Cursing Roberts, Captain Ingram pitches forward onto his face. He lands in a fetal position, clutching a hand to his wound. Roberts walks towards him as he fits a shell into the shotgun.

"Good for you, Drake. You bought yourself some time to pray to God" he says. "Although only a moment."

Despite being doubled over in pain, Drake looks up. "Why do you need that woman?" he asks Roberts.

"What did you say?" Roberts ask, suddenly serious.

"Maybe you're going to sell her off to the sex trade. But even so, it doesn't seem worth it to pick a fight with us just to get her back."

"She is mine." Roberts says. "And I do not like being stolen from."

Drake chuckles at this. "How sweet, you're in love. Well, you've changed."

"What? That's bullshit!" Roberts stammers.

"So it's true then?" Drake says. "Well, get it done then, anyway."

Roberts goes to pull the trigger, and I can't help but cringe. When the gunshot never comes, I hesitantly open my eyes to see Roberts pointing the gun to the sky.

"... Roberts" Drake says slowly.

"You're right, I have changed." Roberts calmly says. "Now that I think about it, rather than kill you here, it'd be better revenge to have you experience the humiliation of being spared by me for the rest of your life."

"You son of a bitch."

"That's me" Roberts says, laughing. He then walks over to me and scoops me up in his arms. As Drake is spouting curses, Roberts simply carries me to the edge of the ship. Looking back, Drake's face is bright red with anger and regret.

"Hold on to my neck" Roberts tells me, grabbing one of the ropes in preparation to swing over.

"Don't tell me we're going to swing!" I whine.

"That's exactly what we're going to do" Roberts says as he jumps with me in tow.

Despite my desperate clinging to him, I'm convinced I'm going to die. But when we don't, I let out a breath of relief.

"Avalon!" I hear my brother yell as he runs towards me with his arms open wide.

"Nagisa!" I say as I run and jump onto him, my legs around his waist as we hug.

"Hey!" Roberts shouts in protest, but Nagisa ignores him.

"It seems I should've been trying to kill you instead of Drake" Roberts says. "I don't like how you're touching her."

"I'm her brother . . . "

"Hmph, still."

Roberts makes his way toward us as the rest of the crew members return to the ship, when suddenly the lookout yells down to us.

"The Saint Cross is headed our way!"


End file.
